Ben Franklin’s 10 virtues of success

I challenge you to read this and try and understand his age old good sage advice….

Ben Franklin’s 10 virtues of successful people

One of the great American salesmen, Benjamin Franklin, suggested that business people adopt these qualities if they wish to be successful.

Ben Franklin gets credit for lots of important events in our nation’s early history. A statesman, inventor, and very successful businessman, Mr. Franklin, however, rarely gets his due for his strongest skill: selling!

Here are Mr. Franklin’s suggestions for those who aspire to be sales leaders:

“My intention being to acquire the habitude of all these virtues, I judged it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix it on one of them at a time; and, when I should be master of that, then to proceed to another, and so on, till I should have gone through the thirteen; and, as the previous acquisition of some might facilitate the acquisition of certain others, I arrange them with that view, as they stand.”

Temperance: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

Order: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

Industry: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

Moderation: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

Cleanliness: Tolerate no un cleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.

I find Ben Franklin’s advice good and applicable today. Balance in all things and incorporating balancing principles is a good thing. I suggest taking and working on his advice. Do you have the discipline to try?

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2 thoughts on “Ben Franklin’s 10 virtues of success”

I read these about 2 years ago and everyday I read them for 6 months. Adopting some of these priciples into my life has been difficult but worth the time and effort to learn discipline. I am glad I got a good reminder of what I should be doing.